Pre-Sales Help -- Does Netgear have a solution?

I am looking for a 'reverse' hotspot device....

I have an internal LAN -- lots of workstations and devices.

I have a TP-Link load balanceing router -- multiple ports going to the Internet. One is DSL, another is satellite. The router has a load balanceing alogrithim that distributes the internal traffic across the available WAN ports to the Internet.

Internet is hard to get where I am but there are cell towers.

I am looking for a device, like a hotspot, that can connect to a the cell service and in turn connect to the router. It would be another access pathway to the Internet.

It would only have one port going to the Internet router and modem connections to the cell signals governed by the plan that the cell folks offer.

Any suggestions?

Before You Buy

Digital999
Feb 06, 2021
As I mentioned earlier, I had an LB1120 about six months ago and it would not work. Technical support from Netgear was sub-optimal to non-existant.
Technical support from the cell provider (AT&T) was the essential equivalent of a blank stare.

As I mouse around it seems that the modem providers (Netgear, et al) and the Cell providers do a dance of 'we want your money but do not want to give up too much cell capacity' all played to the tune of 'not our problem'.
https://ltehacks.com/viewtopic.php?p=5790#p5790

The URL leads to a page that discusses cell plans and varous restrictions imposed by the cell provider. The Netgear item is apparently not well received by most providers, hence the issues involved. If I am to guess, it has to do with ther IMEI and the provider blocking that device.

That is why I am seeking advice from somebody who hopefully has implemented a solution.

5 Replies

plemans
Guru
Feb 06, 2021
Like the LB1120?
NETGEAR 4G LTE Modem - LB1120 | Mobile Broadband | NETGEAR
- Digital999
  Luminary
  Feb 06, 2021
  
  Thanks for the suggestion. I had one about six months ago and it would not work. Technical support from Netgear was sub-optimal to non-existant. In our facility I have 8 Netgear NAS and AP systems deployed and I am quite familiar with the Netgear support pardigm, but this support experience was much worse. Possibly because it is a consumer product.
  
  TP-Link (my router vendor) pointed to Netgear and Netgear shrugged their shoulders and told me to return it 'since it may be defective'
  
  Amazon took it back and now I am reluctant to try again until I hear from somebody who has done what I am attempting.
  
  Thanks again for the suggestion.
  - plemans
    Guru
    Feb 06, 2021
    One thing.
    Most hotspots have their own integrated routing functions.
    did you disable it (hotspots routing functions) when you set it up prior that way your load balancing router was acting as the primary for routing? Its bridge mode for the LB1120
    
    Or even somethign like the MR5200 in bridge/passthrough mode?
    
    you might not find many people setting up what you have with the load balancing on here. I hope you do though!

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Pre-Sales Help -- Does Netgear have a solution?